Method for making a seal and coupling assembly



Dec. 1, 1964 H. L. REINSMA 3,158,923

METHOD FOR MAKING A SEAL. AND COUPLING ASSEMBLY Filed April 2, 1962 L INVENTOR. HAROLD LRE/NSMA 22 BY l I z; 7

A l\ ATTORNEYS United States Patent ens-spas M'E-rl6l) FER IvLAKnNQ A SE rib Ablfl QQUZHNG Harold L. Reinsma, Pekin, BL, assignor to later-pillar Tractor Peoria, lit, a corporation of (Iaiifcrnia Filed Apr. 2, 19:12, Ser. No. 184,434 6 or. ES -1 29.5}

This invention relates to a method for making a seal and coupling assembly and more particularly relates to a method for makiru a seal and coupling assembly which may be used to afiord limited pivotal movement at the hinged joint connections of an endless track mechanism of the type commonly employed on track-type tractors and the like.

Track mechanisms for track-type tractors conventionally comprise a plurality of ground-engaging track shoes secured to pairs of spaced track links. The adjacent track links are pivotally connected together by suitable hinged joints to form two spaced apart and endless chain drives. The chain drives thus formed are trained about suitable driving sprockets and idlers mounted on the tractor and support the tractor through the mechanism of the track rollers.

Such aforedescribed track mechanisms are generally subjected to extremely heavy loads and must operate in environments which contain a considerable amount of abrasive contaminants such as dust. Such contaminants oft times produce a rapid deterioration of the hinged joints which operatively connect the adjacent track links. Thus, frequent repair or replacement of the deteriorated elements or" the track mechanism is necessitated.

Attempts have been made to prevent such contaminants from entering such hinge connections while yet maintain ing the desired track mechanism integrity and efficienc For example, the Sealing and Spacing Means for I-linge Connections as disclosed in Patent No. 2,699,974 to John L. Detfenbaugh and the Combined Seal and Thrust Means which is disclosed in Patent No. 3,050,346, issued on August 21, 1962 to Fred E. Simpson et al., have provided substantial improvements in this area. in particular, the above-mentioned devices, as well as thinvention, primarily afford a protection to selected mating surfaces of the hinged connections which are arranged for limited rotation relative to each other. Although it is desirable to provide a seal assembly which will prevent such contamination, it is further desirable that such seal assembly will also afford substantial freedom of pivotal movement between the interrelated track links.

In accordance with the above discussions, this invention provides a method for an improved seal and coupling assembly. In particular, the novel aspects of this invention essentially provide a method for making a hinged joint having a seal and coupling assembly uniquely arranged therein comprising an inner sleeve member, an outer sleeve member and an elastic means precompressed therebetween. The novel method by which said seal and coupling assembly is made provides a closely toleranced assembly which prevents the entry of abrasives into the hinged joint while yet providing substantially unrestricted freedom of pivotal movement therein.

An object of this invention is to provide a method for making a seal and coupling assembly for a minged joint which prevents the passage of abrasive material therein while yet providing for substantially unrestricted freedom of pivotal movement thereof.

A further object of invention is to provide a.

Patented Bee. 1, 1%54 These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned plan view disclosing a hinged joint portion of an endless track mechanism made pursuant to novel seal assembly aspects of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned clevational view disclosing an apparatus which may be used to carry forth the method steps necessary to make the seal assembly em ployed in the hinged joint or" PEG. 1, and

Fi 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line Ill-HI in EEG. 1.

PEG. 1 discloses a typical track portion 13 of an endless track mechanism of the type used on track-type tractors and the like. The track portion in is typical of the remaining portions constituting the track mechanism and comprises pairs of spaced apart pivotal track links 11 and 12. The individual track links are constructed and arranged to form hinge connections with the adjacent track links to arlord limited pivotal movement therebetwieen, about the central longitudinal axis of pin member 13. The links are continuously connected in a like manner to provide two spaced apart and endless chain drives (not fully shown). The chain drives thus formed are adapted to have a plurality of ground-engagtracks shoes (not shown) secured thercbetween and on the outer peripheries thereof, in the -1 anner hereinbefore described.

The links are press-titted onto the outer er'tremities of 13 so as to be maintained in secured relationship thereon during all relative movements of the track mechanism. A bushing is rotatably mounted on pin 13 and secured to link lit in press-fit relationship. A substantially closed annular chamber is thus formed by means of the links and the bushing in order to retain a seal assembly 15 therein.

The seal assembly 35 constitutes an inner sleeve memher in, an outer sleeve member 3'7 and an intermediate elastic ring member 18 which is securely maintained therebetween. The sleeve 16 preferably comprises a hardened steel constituent which will fulfill its requirements as a thrust absorber and spacer. It is further generally desired that the inside diameter thereof not be substantia ly varied when the seal assembly is being formed. As will be hereinafter more fully understood, the method of this invention aids in the achievement of this desideratum. The sleeve 17 preferably comprises a metallic constituent, such as low carbon steel or aluminum, which may be easily deformed, but is also capable of retaining its shape after such deformation.

The elastic ring member 18 may comprise any one of those classes of polymerized compounds characterized by elastic, rubber-like properties, such as the synthetic rubbers, natural rubbers and various plastics. As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, the ring member 18 is preferably bonded into preassernbled relationship with the sleeve n e bers in a conventional manner, such as by vulcanizing or the like, before it is finally formed. As also clearly shown in FIG. 2, the exposed surface portions 18a of the ring member may be preformed with indentations, preferably of concave configuration, in order to accommodate for the expansion of the ring member in that direction into substantially flush relationship with the edge portions of outer sleeve member 17.

Sleeve 16 is preferably press-fitted or otherwise secured onto pin 13 and sleeve 17 into link 1 Thus, link 11, bushing 14 and sleeve 17 are secured together and are adapted for limited pivotal movements about the longitudinal axis of pin 13, relative to the pivotal movements of link 12, pivot pin 13 and sleeve 16, which are also secured together. Such relative pivoting movement can be seen to be transmitted through the ring member 18, which is constructed and arranged between these two relatively moving sets of elements.

In order to eliminate many of the frictional forces which are normally created in the hinged joint, and to prolong the life expectancy of ring member 18, clearances are provided between the outwardly facing wall portions of the bushing and the ring member and inwardly facing wall portions of the link 12 and the ring member. Thus, the ring member is constructed and arranged to maintain contact only with the sleeve members in order to reduce frictional forces and prolong the life thereof.

A seal and coupling assembly forming apparatus 20, as shown in FIG. 2, will now be described. A tapered die member 21 is adapted to receive and form a seal and coupling sub-assembly. The lower bore portion 22 prescribes the final dimension for the assembly. The die member may be secured to an apertured support plate' 23 by bolts'24.

A split plunger 26 comprises a plurality of expanded finger members 27 which are formed in an expanded, bifurcated fashion, as illustrated. The plunger preferably comprises a hardened steel constituent which will assure sufiicient resiliency to the finger members thereof to permit their collapse into the die member during the forming process. A shank 28 may be operatively connected to a suitable press to aid in the actuation of the plunger. In most forming applications, sufiicient force may be imparted to the'sub-assembly to simultaneously urge all parts thereof into the die member by extending the circumferentially extending lower surface portions 29 of the plunger only over the sleeve 17. However, surface portions 29 may be constructed to extend over the sleeve 16, if so desired.

In operation, the ring member. 18 is positioned between the sleeve members 16 and 17 to thus form a preassembly on a substantiallycommon longitudinal axis XX. As above stated, the ring member may be bonded by con ventional bonding techniques to one or both of the sleeve members, if so desired. However, in many applicationssuch a-bonding step maynot be desired. As above stated, indentations preferably of a concave configuration may be preformed on the exposed surface portions 18a of the ring member to assure subsequent expansion thereof into substantially flush relationship with the edge portions of sleeve 17.

The pre-assembly is then thrust in a downward directionalong axis XX, as viewed in FIG. 2, to force the sleeve 17 inwardly in the direction of axis YY, towards the inner sleeve 16 to compress the ring member 13 therebetween and expand surface portions 1812 into substantial flush relationship with the edges of sleeve 17. The ring member is radially loaded in a suflicientmanner to allow maximum required rotational flexing to occur in its desired environment without detrimentally placing the ring member in a state of tensile stress. Due to the forming steps, little if any compression is aiforded. to the ring member in the direction of axis XX. Attention is particularly directed to FIG. 3 wherein it is shown that limited relative rotational movements between the sleeves through a typical range of angles of from 15 to 35, functions to cause a flexing of the ring member 18 which is arranged in secured and coupling relationship therebetween. It can thus be seen that primarily due to the fact that the ring member 18 is in compression, it may be prevented from being put into tensile stress due to torsion.

The finger members 27 of the swaging tool 26 are designed to collapse sufiiciently to finally urge the pre-assembly into the forming portion 22 to thus shape the sleeve 17 into a desired configuration. Thus a precisely toleraned seal and coupling assembly may be economically and efficiently made to permit subsequent installation thereof into an appropriate arrangement such as the endless track mechanism environment of FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A method for forming a seal assembly having an elastic ring disposed between inner'and outer sleeves of metal comprising the steps of positioning the elastic ring comprising at least one concave surface formed thereon between the inner and outer sleeves so that the concave surface extends between said sleeves, reducing the size of the outer sleeve toward said inner sleeve to place the clastic ring under compression and changing said concave surface to a substantially flat surface.

2. .A method for forming a seal assembly comprising the steps of forming an annular elastic ring member with indentations of concave configuration in first and second side wall portions thereof, positioning said elastic ring member between inner and outer sleeve members so as to extend said indentations between said sleeve members to form a pre-assembly on a substantially common axis, bonding said ring member to at least one of said sleeve members, forcing the outer sleeve member inwardly toward said inner sleeve member to compress said ring member between said sleeve members, substantially maintaining the configuration of said inner sleeve member, ex panding' the side wall portions of said ring member along said axis into substantially flat configurations so that each side wall portion assumes a substantial flush relationship with respect to edges of said outer sleeve member, and

shaping the outer portions of said outer sleeve member into a desired configuration to form a seal assembly.

3. A method for forming a seal assembly comprising the steps of positioning an annularly shaped elastic member having at least one side wall forming concave surface portions between inner and outer sleeve members so that said one side wall extends between said sleeve members and radially compressing said outer sleeve member towards said inner sleeve member to force said one side wall of said elastic member from a concave to a substan-' tially fiat configuration.

- 4. In a method for forming a seal assembly, the steps comprising positioning an elastic ring member having at least one concave surface between inner and outer sleeves so that the concave surface extends between said sleeves to form a pre-assenrbly on a substantially common axis and relatively moving said sleeves towards each other to compress said ring member to substantially flatten said concave surface.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said ring member is compressed a sufiicient amount to permit relative rotational movement between said sleeves at an angle of from 15 to 35 before said ring member is placed into tensile stress.

6. The invention of claim 4 further comprising the step of finally shaping outer portions of said outer sleeve into a desired configuration to form a final seal assembly.

References fired in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,732,657 Picquerez Oct. 22, 1929 1,827,233 Hughes Oct. 13, 1931 1,888,642 Tryon Nov. 22, 1932 2,008,772 Robertson July 23, 1935 2,032,492 Nathan Mar. 3, 1936 2,052,448 Colaert Aug. 25, 1936 2,336,913 Albrecht Dec. 14, 1943 2,622,449 Barker Dec. 23, 1952. 

1. A METHOD FOR FORMING A SEAL ASSEMBLY HAVING AN ELASTIC RING DISPOSED BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER SLEEVES OF METAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF POSITIONING THE ELASTIC RING COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CONCAVE SURFACE FORMED THEREON BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER SLEEVES SO THAT THE CONCAVE SURFACE EXTENDS BETWEEN SAID SLEEVES, REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE OUTER SLEEVE TOWARD SAID INNER SLEEVE TO PLACE THE ELASTIC RING UNDER COMPRESSION AND CHANGING SAID CONCAVE SURFACE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SURFACE. 